Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have been in my current role for the past 20 months. In that time, I have instituted significant reforms in the management and oversight of major public capital investment projects. This has been necessary because we have a record budget this year of approximately €12 billion for the NDP and new procedures are essential. They have been introduced to improve project outturns, avoid cost overruns and avoid schedule delays.

The Deputy will be aware that, when it came to putting the major projects advisory group in place, I put it out to an open public competition. I am pleased with the calibre of people who have come through the process and are now directly involved in advising my Department. They are doing so quickly – a short number of weeks – in respect of key projects.

Investing these resources up front in the rigorous assessment of projects will prevent problems down the line. I have put those reforms in place.

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